Link belting



April 19 1927' H. A. HOUSE LINK BELTING Filed Feb. 8, 1924 IN VENTOR ATTORNE Y Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES HENRY A. HOUSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

LINK BELTING.

Application filed yl'ebruary 8, 1924. Serial No. 691,331.

' for instance as that shown an described in my prior application forpatent, Serial No. 595,036, liled October 17, 1922. As shown in saidapplication, the belting is composed of a plurality of composite units,each consisting of a sheet metal plate and a friction member fixed toone side thereof, said plates at their opposite ends being provided withmeans yfor flexible interlocking connection with each other.

It is the primary object and purpose of my present improvements to soconstruct the complementaryfiexibly interlocked ends of the link platesand connect the same with each other that the belt as a whole will oflermaterially greater resistance to tensile strains, while at the same timea free relative flexing movement between the connected link plates ispermitted.

In one embodiment of my invention, I provide each link plate at its endswith a plurality of longitudinally positioned loops spaced from 'eachother transversely of the link plate, the loops on the end of one platev interitting with the loops on the opposed end of the adjacent plate.vWithin these interlitting loops there is arranged a pair of hardenedmetal rods extending across the entire width of the belt and in parallelrelation with each other, one of said rods being provided with acontinuous longitudinally extending knife edge having a pivotal rockingengagement upon a seat formed in the opposed face of the other rod. Thealternate loops of the link plates within which these rods are engagedexert a transverse strain or pressure upon the rods longitudinally ofthe belt in reverse longitudinal direction so that such tensile strainsor pulls primarily devolvev entirely upon the knife edge bea-ring, suchstrains being, therefore, equalized throughout the length of said-rodstransversely of the belt. rlhus the strain upon the individual metalloops tending to bend or distort the same will be reduced to a minimum.

It is anotherk important objectof the invention to provide an improvedform of the friction members and means for securing the same in apositive manner to one side of the link plates, the opposed edges of theadjacent friction members being serratedV and extending over the iexiblejoint connection between the plates, said serrated edges adapted tolimit the flexing movement of the link plates in one direction byabutting contact with each other.

1t is a further general object of my inyention to provide an improvedinterlocking connection between the link plates having the advantageousfeatures above noted which is of simple construction and may beexpeditiously manufactured at nominal cost, and is capable ofapplication in belt structures adapted for a wide variety of industrialuses.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in theimproved link belting and in the form, construction and arrangement ofthe .several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described,illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing and subsequently l incorporatedin the subjoined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have ydisclosed one simple and practicalembodiment of the invention and in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a fragmentary edge view of a link belt embodying my presentimprovements;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the connected belt links; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the parts of the flexibleinterlocking connection between the link plates separated from eachother. A

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown each link or section of thebelting as consisting of two primary parts, namely, the sheet metal linkplate 5 and the friction member 6 which may consist of felt, leather,canvas or other suitable frictional material for engagement with thepulley face, said friction member being secured to the inner face of thesheet metal link plate in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Preferably, the intermediate portion of the sheet metal plate 5 is bentto provide an arch therein which is spacedfrom the surface of thefriction member 6.

The opposite end edges of each link plate which extend transversely ofthe belt, are provided kwith spaced longitudinally extending slots 7ther-ein, said edge portions of the link plate being suitably bent andextending inwardly towards the body of the plate. In this manner, by theprovision of fil) the slot i, there il'orlned at each end edge ot theplaie a series oft equiwlistantlvr spaced suhstaiitiall)Y rectangularloops 5i. lnvardly of these loops, the end edge ont the inetal sheet isprovided with spurs t) in line with the space or slots i" between theloops S. These spurs are adapted lo he engaged. through openings l()Jtornied in the link plate, the majority ot said spurs ebitendinp`through the Ytrie/lion ineinhers t and heini; securely clinched thereonso as to perinanently secure said :tric-tion inen'iliers in connectionwith the nicl'al plates. The re1naining spurs 9 are clinched upon theinner lace of the link plate. @n one end et each link plate, the loopsel at the side edges el the plate have theirI opposed portionsrieparated at the outer ciu-as oit the loops and coinpressed towardseach other as shown at o" in Figure l ol' the drawingy so that these,loop arms may he readily lieaed. The purpose of this construction willpresentlji7 appear.

As clearly seen in Figure oli the drawing, when the heit links areasscintiled the series ot spaced loops il on the end ot one link plateare titted into the space ln-tireen tne spaced loops 8 ol an adjacentlint: plate. TWO hardened nietal rods 'll n nd 1:5 respectively, arethen assembled and inserted iogether through the interiitting` loops El.is seen in Figure o'i the drawing, each ot these rods is olE generaltriangular sha ne, one rod haring a shallow t"sli:iified srroiire lll inone ol' its laces, ri'hile the other rod upon its correspoiuline' laceis proi'idi-al with a longitudinally extendingl kni'i'e edgre lli- 'thehase ot the groove l?, provides a sont :tor this kni'l'e edge l; so'that the tiro rods ll and l2 may have tree rocking or oscillalinalmotion relative lo cach other in ilie relative niun'enieini olf theseries ot loops l; on one link plate with respect to the connected.series ol' loops on the adjacent link. ritter the assenihled rods lland l2 ha ve heen inserted through the interliilinriloops Si, the partstl at the side edgii'es oll one ol the link plates are :liorccifltogether hir means olf a pliers or other suitable tool to suhslanliallivthe position shown in Figure. l ol' the drawing so that they lie hetneenthe spaifcd paris oit the loops 8 and thus act as stops, prerentin;l thelongitudinal inoreinent of the rods ll and l2 and their projectionlerond the side edges ot the heit.

lt will he observed troni reference tellin'- ure l ot the drawing thatthe edges oft the friction nieinlier o extendinal transversely oit theheit are serrated as at lo. r,llhese serrated edges extend over thelieftihly inter- ]ocked ends ot' the link plates and atif'ord a completeprotection therefor against Wear hy contact with the pulley surface.These serrated edges lo are also adapted to interlit with each other andhv their abutting:Y engagement liniit the relative .flexing inove-Londons nicht of the holt links in one direction and determine theinininnnn diameter oli fthe pelle)Y :tace with which the belt may loeproperljiv engaged.

ltr-oni the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when thesheet metal link plates are connected and flexibly interlocked with eachother, the longitudinal pull or strain is uniformly distributedthroughout the length o'l the hardened rods l1. and l2 einraged throughthe interlitting loops 8. 'lhis strain .is concentrated upon the knifeedge hearing' ll; and the alternate arrangeinent of the loops o on theends ot the adjacent link plaies also equally distributes the strain hetWeen these loops transversely across the heit link. ',lhus it` has heenfound in actual test oly this new link helting that it is capahle o iEsustaining very severe tensile pull or strain without distortion orweakening at the iieiiihle joint or connection heiween the link plates.Accordingly, such link hellingmay he 'znlrantageously applied and usedas a driving nieinher in Various ruses wluirc ciuwptional tensilestrength is an ef-rienthil consideration and to which use the ordinary7continuous leather helting i-onld not he applied. At the saine time, it`will lie appreciated that such a belt construction can he expeditiouslyproduced and sold aiV ironiparalively small cos1,in View of theadvantages which ina)y he realized troni ilu use ihereoi. thus the sheet`nietal link plates i) can he readily lstamped out in a single diestamping;l operation, and then properliy heul to Vl'orni the .loops 8therein. 'lhe reiotorciirnj piro! ingor rocking rods I l. and l2 lforthese loopsl are likewise ol simple construction and aller the linkplates have hren lined upon the liriction nielnhers (i hy ini-ans ot ther-apnrs i), said rods can he readiliv :rrseiuliled and inserted throughthe intertilting;l loops. 'lhe serrated edges l5 of the frictioninenihers (3 ma)Y he so spaced apart that any desi ed (logre oitrelative flexing inoreinent ot the connected links can he obtained.

in the Aforegoing` descriiition, I have referred to a preferred :toi-1nol the loops S and the nieans for clinching the metal link plates uponthe friction ineinher G. However, these as well as the other describedleatu res ol the device are susceptible ol more or less variation, andthe essential characleristics olf the present improvements may possiblyhe exeinplilied in other alternative striutures. Accordingly, it is tohe understood that I reserve the privilege of adopting all suchlegitimate changes in the forni, proportion and relative arrangement ofthe several parts as may he fairly embodied within the spirit and scopeot the invention as claimed.

l claim:

1. ,er link helting comprising friction sections, sheet metal plates,each plate at its opposite ends being bent outwardly upon itself andlongitudinally slotted to provide a plurality of loops therein, spacedfrom each other transversally of the plates, the ends of the plateshaving extended prongs adapted to pass through the plate and connect theloops with the friction sections of the belting, the loops on one linkadapted for interitting engagement in the spaces between the loops inthe adjacent link plate and rods extending through the loops.

2. A link belting comprising friction sections, sheet metal plates, eachplate at its opposite ends being bent outwardly upon itself andlongitudinally slotted to provide a plurality of angular loops thereinspaced from each other transversally of the plates, the ends of theplates having extended prongs adapted to pass through the plate andconnect the loops with the friction sections of the belting, the loopsof one link plate adapted for interfitting engagement in the spacebetween the loops on the adjacent link plate, and rods extending throughthe loops and. having angular faces corresponding therewith, and theinner faces of the rod constructed to have a rolling contact.

3. A link belting comprising friction sections, sheet metal plates, eachplate at its opposite ends being bent upon itself, and longitudinallyslotted to provide a plurality of angular loops therein spaced from eachother transversally of the plates, the ends of the plate being arrangedupon the plate and having prongs extending through openings in the plateand adapted to connect the loops with the friction sections of thebelting, the loops on one link plate adapted for interfitting engagementin the spaces between the loops on the adjacent link plate, and aconnecting member extending through the loops.

4. A link belting comprising friction sections, sheet metal plates, eachplate at its opposite ends being bent upon itself and longitudinallyslotted to provide a plurality of angular loops therein spaced from eachother transversally of the plate, the ends of the plate having extendedprongs adapted to connect the loops with the friction sections of thebelting, the loops on one link plate adapted for interitting engagementin the spaces between the loops on the adjacent link plate, rodsextending through the loops and having angular faces corresponding withthe4 tions, sheet metal plates, each plate at its.

opposite ends being bent upon itself and longitudinally slotted toprovide a plurality of angular loops therein spaced from each othertransversely of the plate, the ends of the plate being arranged abovethe plate,

and having prongs extending through openings in the plate and adapted toconnect the loops with the friction sections of the belting, the loopson .one link plate adapted for inter-fitting engagement in the spacesbetween the loops on the adjacent link plate, two rods extendingVthrough the loops and having angular faces corresponding with the loopsand holding them against movement therein, one of said loops having alongitudinally extending edge engaging a bearing seat carried by theother rod, whereby said rods are held against movement in the loops andhave a free pivotal or rocking movement on each other on the flexing ofthe belt links relative to each other.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

HENRY A. HOUSE.

